Perimenopause: Signs, Tools and Hacks

:: 00:00

Welcome to the Thriving Woman Project podcast hosted by myself, Wendy Griffin. This is the podcast for women who want to level up and thrive in all areas of your life, health, and business. Join us as we cover a range of topics, all inspiring you to thrive and not just survive. We are here to work on the project of you because I believe the best gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy and thriving you.

:: 00:24

It's time to thrive. Hello, hello, lovely, and welcome back to episode two, season four of the Thriving Woman Project podcast. Today I have a very topical and exciting, depending on how you approach it, topic that I want to dive into, and that is my top tips for thriving in perimenopause. On episode one, I shared quite vulnerably how this has been something that has affected me personally over the last two years.

:: 00:58

And it was something that I didn't immediately recognize, but as my symptoms started to sort of rear their ugly head as such, and I started to recognize and join the dots between. The different things that I was starting to feel, it really started to dawn on me that actually I had started my perimenopause journey, which can sometimes really sort of catch us off guard because we think, well, well, certainly for me, I was 38 years old at the time and I was thinking, gosh, you know, women are still having babies at this point.

:: 01:32

And, you know, I recently saw a news article where. Somebody had had a baby at 52 and you just think, well, gosh, okay. So you don't really join the dots of the fact that actually when you consider the average age of menopause here in the UK is 52 and actually that's the one day, the one day this blew my mind where you have not had a period for more than 12 months.

:: 01:58

So when I realized that, I thought, okay, so everything prior to that one day is perimenopause and everything after that one day is postmenopause. And so when you think about it, you could be on your perimenopause journey, which is essentially the decline of essential hormones, which we'll talk more about in today's episode over a period potentially of 10 up to 15 years before you actually enter that one day of menopause where you've not had your period for more than 12 months.

:: 02:29

And some other facts and figures that blew my mind is that one in every 100 women go into menopause before they are 40. That is a really, really high statistic when you think about it. So while the average age of, you know, women starting to experience symptoms around menopause is that between sort of 45 and 55, you know, some of us are not average.

:: 02:53

Some of us could be that one in 100, or absolutely we can be starting our journey. You know, years and years before that. And what I've found about this is that it's given me such a sense of empowerment about this journey, because I understand it when there's a hundred percent chance that 51 percent of the population is going to experience menopause in some way, shape, or form.

:: 03:18

At some point of their life, it makes you think how crazy is it that there is not more education and don't get me wrong, that is changing. Thank you, Louise Newsome and Davina McCall. But nowadays, like, if you think about it, we're educating kids in school about sort of sex education, puberty. You know, we, we support mums on their journey of becoming sort of mums and what the body's experiencing through childbirth and post, et cetera.

:: 03:45

But we're not actually educating women about something that they're all going to go through, which just seems crazy to me. And it's why I have become so passionate about this topic and why it's actually, you know, for me, why I've decided to become a menopause wellness practitioner myself, because, you SOTA about health and wellness coach, I just felt like this was such an important thing to educate myself on, you know, especially as this journey can last.

:: 04:15

Potentially, you know, such a long time for some women and we need to be equipped with the knowledge and the hacks and the tools and the tips to really help us to thrive through this journey. There's a couple of things to share here that really hit home is that 900, 000 UK women have left their jobs in the workforce.

:: 04:36

Because of menopause symptoms. And nowadays, you know, companies are devising sort of menopause programs and support programs to help women going through this, but they definitely needs to be more in this space to help and equip and empower women. And the other thing for me that just. You know, really, this was, you know, mind blowing was when I actually learned that the highest rate of women taking their own lives in the UK was actually around the age of 52.

:: 05:09

Now, when you consider that that coincides with the average age of menopause in the UK, I don't think that that's a coincidence. You know, that for me is a massive red light, you know, for a health sector, the UK government. You know, everybody in the wellness space to really sit up and pay attention and know that we need to do more to educate women in this space.

:: 05:35

So today I really wanted to share with you some empowering. Um, information, hacks, tools, resources to support you on this journey. And it's one that I'm on myself. So I get it. I get how this can feel confusing. This can feel, you know, overwhelming, but I really believe that when we approach it with the right mindset, because I believe that when we can manage our mind, which controls so much of our day to day actions, you know, when we actually know how powerful our thoughts and our mindset can be.

:: 06:09

I really believe that we would think a lot less negatively, that we would focus on those proactive solutions because, you know, one of my favorite quotes of all time is by Mahatma Gandhi. And he says, your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, and your values become your destiny.

:: 06:33

So if there was ever more of a reason, a motivating factor to manage what goes on here between our two ears, it's this. It's managing the mindset and the way that we approach it. I think historically there's been a lot of rhetoric around, Oh, that's it. My life is over. You know. Bye. Bye. But actually it's just about embracing a new season, just as we embraced our puberty and we embraced our twenties and moving into motherhood, potentially for some of us and how we approach.

:: 07:04

Our menopause journey is just another season, and I believe that if we can approach it with a positive mindset, that goes such a long way to helping us sort of overcome stigma and, you know, be able to communicate and articulate to our loved ones. Our employers, you know, our colleagues, our friends, what we're actually going through because it is a sliding scale, you know, different women are going to experience different things about their journey.

:: 07:31

And, you know, you know, it's that kind of thing when you have a baby and then someone's like, Oh, you just wait till you have to, or, or, you know, Oh, I found it so easy. My child slept through the night. And, you know, is that whole sort of comparison that's just really unhelpful. And. I was doing a presentation recently to a group of women and one of them came up to me and was, Oh, you know, that was helpful.

:: 07:52

Thank you. But you know, I've just sailed through menopause. And then there was a woman standing next to her, just looked at me with this like look of horror on her face. She's like, I have not, I have really struggled. And so I just really want to draw your attention to the fact that we need to be really sensitive to other women around us and really consider that, you know, we're all built differently.

:: 08:12

We're all going to experience different things. And it's just really to understand. that it is that sliding scale. So if you're sailing through it, that is amazing. I'm very happy for you. But if you're someone who is struggling, it's knowing that there is so much support out there and we have absolutely got your back in the Thriving Woman Project.

:: 08:32

So let's talk about some of those lovely symptoms that happen during perimenopause. I mean, there's a lot that we sort of know about and we sort of even joke about, you know, the hot flashes, et cetera. But really for me, one of the big ones was irregular periods. So I first noticed this. I had my daughter when I was 34.

:: 08:51

I went through a fertility journey to have her IVF. And I remember people saying to me in the clinic, Oh, you're so young. And I'm thinking, Oh, I do feel it. But one of the things I noticed after I had my little girl was my periods changed. And at first I just sort of wrote it off to, Oh, new, new motherhood and my body's adjusting and hormones, et cetera.

:: 09:11

But then they started to become really crazy heavy now. If anyone's squeamish here, mute me for five seconds. But honestly, I, I just, I mean, I was literally having to look at my calendar and book days out my diary. I'm talking mattress soaking, literally felt like. you know, chunks were falling out of me.

:: 09:33

Sorry. I know that's really graphic, but I really just want to hit home that, you know, these things can happen to women. And I just thought that something's not right here. And I did go and speak to my doctor and, you know, they just, they didn't really help me a great deal. I thought, Oh, you might be struggling with endometriosis or angiomeneosis or something like that, but they couldn't really help me.

:: 09:54

I mean, to be fair, all they could recommend is that I either go on the pill or I maybe have a coil fitted. And at the time I was still. looking to potentially have a second child, which I've now made the decision that that's, that's not in my future. But at the time I was thinking, okay, well, I can't have a coil fitted because that's not going to work, et cetera.

:: 10:12

Although I will say as of side note, as of recently over the last six months, I did indeed have a coil fitted and oh my God, it has changed my life, literally changed my life because I'm actually able to leave the house during my period. I'm actually able to, you know, have sort of a normal few days. I mean, don't get me wrong.

:: 10:34

I still get the usual, you know, cramps and bit of pain and, you know, definitely the PMS symptoms and the cravings of chocolate, et cetera, but it has made such a massive difference. So if you're someone who is starting to struggle with irregular periods, maybe really heavy or They're changing or, you know, typically that cycle is around 28 days.

:: 10:52

But if you find your cycles are getting shorter or even longer, that's maybe something to consider that this is your body starting to evolve and change. Then we have obviously the hot flashes, which inevitably lead to a lot of sleep problems for women. And that's just, you know, the compounding effect.

:: 11:10

You know, we all know how we feel. when we've had a disturbed night's sleep. I mean, I occasionally get woken up by my little girl who has nightmares and, oh my goodness, the next day I'm just like, oh, give me strength, you know, wanting to eat all the naughty carbs just to give myself some energy. Then there's the mood changes.

:: 11:27

And if you're finding that you're someone who's maybe now prone to sort of outbursts or rages, it's also knowing that that is the natural fluctuation. And we'll talk more about that in the context of hormones in a, in a short while. There's also the vaginal and the bladder problems that can come with it, decreasing fertility, which is obviously something to consider as our body is moving through that.

:: 11:50

And just on a, again, a side note for that, a one thing I have. Notice with some of my clients is that this is a really difficult one because a lot of people have maybe waited or been unable to conceive and are going through IVF cycles, et cetera. And what you actually find is that our bodies are quite confused because here we are pumping our body through, you know, hormones to conceive, but actually our bodies are already naturally starting to move to menopause.

:: 12:16

So there is this massive fluctuation of hormones in our system and our bodies are just really confused. So. I, you know, I've had some clients who've had, you know, children into their late forties and experiencing really bad, you know, and difficult moods, depressions, and, you know, thinking it's, it's postnatal and it very well could be, but that in itself can also be an indication of.

:: 12:38

Those early stages of menopause. Then there's the changes in sexual function or sexual desire, or you may have noticed your libido has fallen off a cliff. Um, that was something that I definitely started to notice a fluctuation in myself. And again, that's something that It's such a hard one, isn't it?

:: 12:56

Because say you're in a heterosexual relationship and, you know, we know that men are very driven by sex and contact and, you know, that's very much sort of their love language. It can be so difficult when you absolutely love your husband, you fancy the pants off him, but you just start to lose that desire.

:: 13:16

And I think that's something that we need to be aware of and something where we need to be open and honest in our communication with our partners around that so that they can understand that. It's not necessarily us rejecting them, but also us taking the responsibility that even if we're not necessarily feeling in the mood as such, that actually sometimes we need to override that with our mindset and be like, no, this is something I know that I would want to partake in.

:: 13:43

And actually, you know, it's, I heard a quote once, which I thought was absolutely brilliant. I'm going to share it with you, which is like, Having sex is like exercise, you don't really want to do it, but once you've done it, you feel great. So I don't know if that resonates for anyone right now, but I know for me that certainly has been the case in certain situations.

:: 14:03

The other thing that we want to consider is sort of the loss of bone density. So, you know, when you consider that our calcium levels start to drop off a cliff after we're 30. And as we go through our perimenopause journey, that bone density, um, and this is where you'll see a lot of information around maintaining muscle mass and, you know, doing weight bearing exercises and why that is so beneficial.

:: 14:27

I mean, I'm going to talk a little bit more about this later on about exercise and how I've shifted up my exercise routine from what I used to do in my thirties to now what I do in my forties at the age of 41. Another thing that would be an indicator is changing cholesterol levels. So, again, this is something to look at and if you are here in the UK and you go to, to the doctors, unfortunately the tests that they do don't really give you the sort of, the nuances of your cholesterol levels because there's, the good cholesterol and the bad cholesterol.

:: 14:56

So they might come back and say, Oh, that cholesterol is really high, but it's looking at what's high about that. Another thing just to consider though, is that if you are in early menopause, like you're those one, one in 100 women, there is. That declining estrogen does have a lot of effect on heart disease.

:: 15:14

So that is something that you need to speak to your doctor about and get support around because there can be a real knock on effect there that you need to consider. But then I want to talk about some of the symptoms that maybe aren't often talked about. Things like for me, this was the main indicator for me was the anxiety levels.

:: 15:32

Now I've never been a particularly anxious person outside of the norm of, you know, worrying about little things and maybe even the bigger things, but. What I started to notice was the catastrophizing and, you know, something that would be just so normal to me usually, would suddenly just get my mind whirring and, you know, have me up at three in the morning thinking about all the different things and, you know, all the trauma that I ever experienced in my life, et cetera, et cetera.

:: 16:00

And did I mean to say that? Did she mean to say that? All that kind of thing. And so that is something that is really, really important, uh, to consider in your journey. But the other thing that I have seen as part of that. Journey of anxiety is that a lot of women will start to feel maybe depressive symptoms.

:: 16:20

They'll maybe go to their doctors who will just move straight, unfortunately, to saying, right, let's get you on an antidepressant and you know, that, that solves the problem. And look, I understand certainly here in the UK with the NHS and doctors having very limited time to spend with their patients and really understand root causes, et cetera.

:: 16:41

But, you know, for me, it's thinking about, right. Um, you know, how can I, how can I manage this? And I'm not saying that medication isn't a solution, you know, just to share with you, you know, for me, I actually did opt to go on a low level antidepressant for a while, which I, you know, I'm now not on, but at the time there were just a number of factors, you know, for me and I was still really struggling with a lot of grief around losing my dad and COVID and all sorts of things.

:: 17:09

For me, I just felt like, look, my serotonin levels have well and truly been depleted here by the adrenaline, the high levels of cortisol in my system. So actually this would be an approach to bring me back on an even keel, just really balance things out and then manage things, you know, alongside it holistically, looking after my gut health, supporting myself with good healthy habits.

:: 17:33

And those are things that I've been able to continue on from that. So. If you are somebody that's maybe, you know, struggled with depression or those anxious symptoms, it's knowing. You know, what is actually going on for you. So we're going to get stuck into a little bit more about hormones and what's actually going on in our body.

:: 17:50

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:: 19:06

Right. Welcome back. And now we're going to get stuck into hormones, which really our body's chemical messengers, which are sent off into the bloodstream to our tissues and our organs. So hormones are really essential and they have many, many functions. And the key ones that we're going to talk about today in the context of the perimenopause journey are the three key ones.

:: 19:29

Hormones. Estrogen. progesterone and testosterone. Now, estrogen is the hormone that really supports our growth, our energy, our metabolism. So that's why we can find when those naturally start to decline over a period of time through your perimenopause journey, you'll start to maybe feel more lethargic.

:: 19:50

You'll start to notice that middle weight gain creeping on or just generally weight gain everywhere, which is something I definitely noticed. For me, it was the belly weight and I was You know, still eating how I normally eat, you know, would eat and exercising, but just this belly weight was coming from nowhere.

:: 20:06

Nowhere she says, but now I understand. The other thing is energy levels and you know, not necessarily with those in decline having the energy that we once had. Now when we talk about progesterone, progesterone is really that happy hormone, the stress buffer. So when that starts to decline, we do start to feel those anxious thoughts, those.

:: 20:30

Maybe depressive symptoms, we start to, you know, stress starts to be magnified for us. We start to sort of have less resistance to being able to, you know, moderate our moods. And so that's where, you know, the mood fluctuations, the rages, those kinds of things creep in. But I have to say that with having had a coil fitted and having come off my, um, antidepressants, it, for me, I noticed a big difference because a coil is actually, because I have a Mirena coil.

:: 20:58

is actually a low level release of progesterone into that localized womb area. So I have found just with supporting my body with that progesterone boost that has made a massive, massive difference. So I haven't noticed sort of any drop off or any difference since I've come off my meds since having the quill fitted.

:: 21:15

So this is not me giving medical advice, but this is just me sharing my own personal Um, story and, and what's helped me in, in the hope that, that this may, you know, resonate for you or, you know, you may be someone who doesn't want to have a coil fitted or whatever. This is not me trying to say everyone should get a coil fitted, but it is just thinking about, well, okay, how does this work?

:: 21:35

And just understanding the different options, which we'll talk about in a sec. Then the third hormone that we also want to talk about is the testosterone. Now actually people think, you know, they tend to associate testosterone with men, but actually women have incredibly high levels. of testosterone in the body.

:: 21:53

So testosterone is really linked again to that growth, that metabolism and that mood. It's really the trifecta of all those things. And so when that naturally starts to decline, you do feel that weight gain, the moods, you know, the lack of energy, et cetera. Perhaps, you know, you know about these hormones, but maybe it's something that you haven't really thought of.

:: 22:17

And if you actually just think about the chemical processes that are going on in your body, it's not that there's anything wrong with you. It's just something that is naturally occurring in your body. These things are designed to drop off. We're designed to go into menopause. That is a natural life journey.

:: 22:34

I suppose when you consider back in the day, people wouldn't necessarily live to the ripe old ages that we do nowadays. They perhaps didn't have to factor this in as much. It's, you know, they maybe weren't in menopause or perimenopause for as long as we need to be in nowadays because we are living longer as a society.

:: 22:53

So it's just cutting yourself some slack around that and understanding that actually what is going on for you is totally normal. There's nothing wrong with you. It's just what's what's happening. So now that we've talked about hormones, I want to touch on HRT, which is hormone replacement therapy. And this is something that has in the past got quite a bad rap.

:: 23:17

And that really came down to a journal that was published and has actually now been found to be incorrect, has been retracted. But unfortunately that medical advice that permeated through the sort of the nineties. Just had every woman flushing her HRT down the toilet, quite literally. But here's the thing, they were linking HRT to conditions like breast cancer.

:: 23:41

And so women were like, nope, I don't want that. Now, just a caveat to all of this. If you are somebody who has a history of breast cancer in your family, who is needs to watch those estrogen levels, then this is something that you really need to take guidance. Actually, for anything about HRT, you need to speak to your doctor about it and the different options available to you based on your medical circumstances, based on the contra indications of other medication that you might be taking.

:: 24:06

So, But specifically for this, um, for, you know, conditions around breast cancer, et cetera, you do need to speak to your doctor. And you might be one of the very small percentage of women who actually, whose bodies are progesterone resistant and really don't thrive on HRT. But most women that I typically speak to who have gone down the HRT route are thriving and it has made a massive difference.

:: 24:33

But the one thing with HRT that you have to be. Conscious of is that you have to get those levels right and that's really where you have to work in partnership with your doctor, you know, potentially adjusting your levels, letting it settle, letting things take effect and, you know, working with them over the years to adjust as those hormones decline.

:: 24:51

The HRT is really designed to be a program to support those declining hormones. So you know, based on your, on your symptoms, speaking to your doctor, they will recommend the different options either around, you know, say having a coil fitted or having estrogen patches or gels, um, you know, having a, taking a progesterone pill, whatever the case is.

:: 25:14

Testosterone is still a tricky one because that's not something that we're actively prescribing in the UK yet. I know a lot of women are getting this privately and actually it's being imported from Australia. Um, and this is something that is making a massive difference, but I appreciate not everybody has access to private medical.

:: 25:33

Um, but if you do, it's potentially something to look at. If you can get access to it, maybe look at your employee support programs as well, any sort of private medical that you have, because you can get sort of more targeted support outside of the 10 minute slots that you're getting with your doctors. Um, the NHS, unfortunately, but yes, HRT can be an absolute game changer for people and also can become quite difficult if you maybe are someone who is on the pill or have had a coil fitted because maybe your periods have all but gone.

:: 26:06

So you don't actually know when those periods stop. So that again is something to be conscious of something to monitor with your doctor and just something to take into consideration. Now, if you don't want to go down the HRT route, which I think a lot of women don't necessarily, lifestyle can play such a huge part in managing those perimenopause symptoms.

:: 26:30

So eating healthily, exercise, sleeping well, keeping things simple, managing your mindset. These are all such key things that we can do to support ourselves. And one of the big game changers for women I know, and certainly the clients that I've worked with is around managing their gut health. Now. There's so much research nowadays that has linked to the effects of gut health on our overall body.

:: 26:56

You know, there's a reason that the gut is called the second brain because it moderates so much within our bodies. It's the epicenter of everything in our bodies, including our hormone regulation. So this is such a key one. for managing perimenopause. You know, our gut affects our skin, our energy, our sleep, our digestion, our metabolism, our moods.

:: 27:15

So it is really, really important that we are supporting our gut health. And we can do that by, you know, looking at, you know, the basics, looking at. effective sleep. Now, if you are someone who is struggling with sleep, you know, there are some side notes to that, you know, looking at things like supplementing with magnesium.

:: 27:35

We are so magnesium deficient, unfortunately, in the UK, and that comes down to a lot of, you know, the soil quality of our food and just not getting enough of the magnesium in our diets. And also things like ashwagandha, which is a great adaptogen, which basically saps up stress in our system and really helps promote a restful night's sleep.

:: 27:55

So I take my ashwagandha in the evening. I take my magnesium supplements and that goes a long way to helping me with sleep. But other things are things like my exercise, walking in nature, really doing things that calm my parasympathetic parasympathetic nervous system, because these are things that, you know, will just help regulate our bodies.

:: 28:19

Like, don't get me wrong. It's good to have a certain amount of stress that gives us the get up and go, the fat, you know, get things done, take action. But actually when our bodies are in a constant state of that, that's when it can start to really, that cortisol can really sap away at our serotonin levels.

:: 28:34

And that's what can lead to sort of the mood dysfunctions. in our body. So eating a clean, healthy, whole foods diet, you know, eat as nature intended, 80 percent of the time, 20 percent of the time enjoy. Alcohol is a big one. I know for me, I've massively, not that I was a massive drinker before, but I have all but cut out alcohol in my diary and diary, diet and diary and my social diary.

:: 28:59

I have definitely noticed that when I drink alcohol, it's the knock on effect two to three days afterwards, you know, feeling, you know, the mood shifts, feeling sort of low in myself, the anxiety levels. So it's really more the post drinking that. I just know when I go to have that GNT, actually do I, can I really be bothered with this?

:: 29:20

And movement is such a key one for me. So one of the things that I've done is massively mix up my exercise routines. I used to be that person who would like go to the gym and sweat it out and leave everything on the floor. Literally, you know, the more I sweat equal the, you know, burn the calories, go, go, go.

:: 29:40

But actually it's hugely important at. any time of our lives, but in perimenopause to really support our bodies in that metabolism stage of like, building the muscle because that's going to obviously burn more calories ultimately, but it's really going to help boost our metabolism. It's also thinking about, you know, our levels declining and that does leave us, um, the hormone levels declining leaves us at risk of things like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

:: 30:12

So it is important to have that mix of weight bearing. I mean, walking is one of the best forms of exercise that you can undertake truly. Especially walking in nature because you get the double whammy of, you know, nature, you know, fresh air, vitamin D, which we can be so deficient in, especially here in the winter in the UK.

:: 30:31

and also just that good solid weight bearing exercise. And the best part is it's free. But if you are part of maybe a gym or an exercise club, it's getting that mix between stretching and mobility, which I use yoga for, core strength with Pilates and also that weight bearing exercise. So I aim to do sort of two to three weight bearing sessions a week with one Pilates and one yoga.

:: 30:54

And that also really just those Pilates and yoga sessions are also just that real sort of replenishing, rejuvenating time for me. And nowadays there's so many free things that you can download on YouTube, do those exercises. So honestly, it's such a fantastic way, um, free way that we can do the energy exercise to get the energy that we need in the comfort of our own homes.

:: 31:18

Also, let's just talk about controlling weight gain because that is a reality and a side effect of perimenopause. And for me, it's being very conscious of a few. few things, mainly portion sizes, because I'm one that just likes to eat all the food. I don't know about you. So it's really controlling how much we're actually eating.

:: 31:36

So thinking about, you know, the size of your palm being, you know, the level of quantity of protein that you want to be eating and protein is such a key one. And this perimontan phase like protein gives us energy. It keeps us fuller for longer. It helps build muscle, which is naturally declining. So we need to replenish it.

:: 31:54

So I aim to have around 120 to even up to 160 grams of protein a day, which is around 50 to 40 grams at the low end of protein per meal. So Typically, if you're someone who's maybe having a bowl of cereal in the morning or having a piece of toast and jam, like that's not giving you high quality protein at all to fuel your body for the day ahead.

:: 32:15

So it's really thinking about how you can supplement. more protein into your diet. And I'm going to give you a great little resource for this in a sec. Just you wait. Another thing is thinking of your veg and, you know, dark leafy greens and having that variety of up to 36 fruits and vegetables a week, which nearly equates to sort of nine up to 10, depending on.

:: 32:36

different types of varieties. We tend to get stuck in a little bit of a rut of what we eat. So thinking about, you know, having a big fist full of vegetables on your plate, having one cupped hand full of good complex carbohydrates and having a good, you know, one thumb of serving of healthy fats. So Again, I'm not a big fan of, of programs where people talk about sins and avocados being sins.

:: 33:00

And I'm like, Oh my goodness, avocados are the best olive oil. Get all, you know, there's a reason that the Mediterranean diet is lauded as one of the best ways to eat around the world. And certainly when you read books like Blue Zone, or if you've watched the new Netflix documentary, Live to 100, you'll see a lot of these.

:: 33:18

Blue Zone communities, which is where people in these five concentrated pockets around the world live to more than a hundred, like the most people that live over a hundred, you'll see that their diet is very much about eating clean, healthy, whole foods, very much that Mediterranean diet, healthy fats.

:: 33:34

good protein, good vegetables, good carbohydrates. And so that really goes a long way to helping control weight gain. And then you compliment that with the exercise. Unfortunately, we can't outrun our forks. I've tried many times, but actually 80 percent of what we're doing is going to be down to what we're, what we're eating and how we're fueling our body.

:: 33:52

And I always just think when I go to eat something and it's not that I don't eat rubbish, I've actually got a lovely bag of crisps on my desk right now that I'm going to enjoy in a bit. But It's thinking about actually, you know, thinking about food as fuel for our bodies and how that actually makes us feel.

:: 34:08

I know that when I eat bad food or, you know, things that are maybe not as, as good for me, it's, it's going to leave me in a bit of a funk. So it's whether or not I'm prepared for that funk. And also when I'm in that funk going, Oh yeah, that's because, you know. I quaffed a bag of crisps and yeah, that knock on effect is going to be felt in my body.

:: 34:25

I have touched on a few of these already, but thinking about sort of key vitamins and minerals, things like calcium, which keeps our bones strong, vitamin D, which helps us absorb vitamin C, which again sort of supports and boosts our immunity, magnesium, which is great for sleep and stress, collagen as well.

:: 34:44

So I take a vegan collagen supplement every morning. in my greens drinks. So I'm getting like my hits of greens. Another big thing is actually making sure, and this is very important for gut health, having a really comprehensive pre and probiotic support, which has also got digestive enzyme support. So I take a supplement every day, which has the pre probiotics, the digestive enzymes.

:: 35:08

a healthy hits of variety of fruits and veg, as well as my vegan collagen all in one little handy drink. I'll actually link to that in the show notes. You can see what, what supplements it is that I actually take. And another thing is our B vitamins because our B vitamins, especially B12, that's very much what gives us the energy.

:: 35:27

So that's something that a lot of us can be very deficient in. So thinking about supporting B vitamins and then supporting those protein levels, which we've already spoken about. So. With all those lifestyle factors to think about and the fact that I'm so passionate about nutrition being such a key part of that, I just wanted to let you know that I have got something really exciting to gift you as, as a listener of this podcast.

:: 35:51

So go to the show notes as soon as you finish listening to this and grab my fabulous download, which is going to help you Thriving in menopause, and it is my 40 healthy recipes to thrive in your forties. So these are really protein rich recipes, all my hacks, tools and and tips and tricks to really help you support your nutrition and your lifestyle just to really help you thrive through this journey of perimenopause.

:: 36:19

So make sure that you go and get that downloaded afterwards, and that will be in your inbox waiting for you, and you can be inspired with lots of healthy protein rich recipes and all the. you know, dates on all my sort of key vitamins, minerals, supplements, et cetera, that can help support you. And something else that you'll learn about in that and, um, in the delivery of that email to you is a program that I absolutely am passionate about.

:: 36:45

And that is my thrive in 30 program. It's an app based program. Um, which is works alongside the product range that I recommend, which is a company called Arbonne. I've been a brand ambassador for them for over 12 years now. And there's a reason for that. It's that I love their scientific formulas. The fact that they're a B corporation, that they are so transparent around their ingredients policy and that their products are so absorbable.

:: 37:12

Because a lot of these. Um, supplements that we can sort of go into the shops and buy off the shelf, unfortunately don't have great absorbability. So it really is looking at how these products can support you synergistically. So using the products alongside our app, which has got fantastic recipes and meal plans and education videos and exercise and all sorts of things, mindset management.

:: 37:35

Which is a free perk of becoming a client of mine with Arbonne and being able to access that program and just to have lifetime access to it just to keep you constantly inspired with all sorts of things. So again, that's something that you can find out more about at the link in my show notes. But I just wanted to end today's episode, which I appreciate.

:: 37:55

There's been a lot of information shared and I just really wanted to give you that sort of high level overview. Of are so many fantastic resources out there that you can use to support you on this journey of perimenopause. I would actually really, um, recommend Davina McCall's book, uh, Menopausing. I also know that Louise Newsome, who is really kind of the, the, the mother of, of all things menopause.

:: 38:19

She's got a couple of great books that you can get on Amazon or wherever you buy your books from. And just to really help give more sort of a holistic approach to menopause and just give you all the facts and figures of that, because I really believe that the best gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy and thriving you.

:: 38:39

And when we're in this perimenopause journey, it's It's not that it's over. It's just another season. It's just another journey. And we can absolutely support ourselves to thrive with the right mindset, the right tools and support. And so if you're not already a part of my thriving woman project, Facebook community, which is free, come and join us.

:: 38:58

The link is in my show notes and be a part of a community. Who are all, you know, inspired to live the most healthy and thriving life and a community of women who just get where we are on this journey and are here to support you every step of the way. So thank you for tuning into today's episode and I look forward to speaking to you on episode three.

:: 39:18

Take care, lovely. Thank you for joining me for today's episode. If you've got value from this, please won't you take two seconds to take a screenshot and share a pic of this episode on your socials. Extra points if you'd like to rate and review this podcast on your preferred platform so that we can share the love with more women wanting to thrive in their lives.

:: 39:35

Do be sure to visit my website, wendygriffith. co. uk to get all my free resources to support you on your thriving journey. Until next time, God bless, take care of yourself, and keep thriving.